Tight-end Coverage To Be Tested Again

DAVIE — Give the Dolphins an A for the improvements they made in covering the tight end between last week's New England game and the debacle in Kansas City two weeks ago.

Granted, Patriots tight end Christian Fauria is not as talented as the Chiefs' Tony Gonzalez, but improvements were made in the Dolphins' man-to-man coverage, with a safety providing deep help.

This week at Denver, however, comes the big test since that day Gonzalez had seven receptions for 140 yards and three touchdowns.

Denver's Shannon Sharpe, a future Hall of Famer, has 21 receptions for 197 yards this season, and although he's 34 he's still capable of doing damage.

"He's a Pro Bowl player, and we've got to be aware of where he's at all the time," coach Dave Wannstedt said.

Kansas City lined up Gonzalez in a variety of spots to get favorable matchups against linebackers. They were so bold as to line him up against cornerback Sam Madison once. Most of the time it appeared Gonzalez was beating single man-to-man coverage.

"They really didn't have any matchups one-on-one except the one outside with Sam," Wannstedt said. "All the ones down the middle we had somebody running with him and somebody over the top of him, and we had two guys assigned to him on the one touchdown. So they didn't get as many one-on-one matchups, we just didn't do a good job of defending him. So we learned from that, and I think we're not taking anything for granted."

Safety Arturo Freeman, who was beaten a few times by Gonzalez, said he got some supportive telephone calls from friends in and out of the NFL after that game, and he has improved.

Last week Fauria and fellow tight end Cam Cleeland combined for two receptions for 30 yards. This week, with Sharpe and fellow tight end Dwayne Carswell, the Dolphins will face tight ends used more closely to the way the Chiefs used Gonzalez.

At least that's what linebacker Zach Thomas expects.

"I think they love doing that," Thomas said. "Why wouldn't they? That's just the way it works. We're not a zone team. You look at the tape, everybody's zone. Us, we're man-to-man. We're aggressive. We leave linebackers on the tight ends. We turn our backs to the quarterback where other teams just zone deep and try not to give up the deep ball."

Injury update

Defensive end David Bowens (knee) practiced, and it will be a game-time decision whether he plays, according to Wannstedt.

Bowens, listed as doubtful, sprained the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last week against New England, and Friday's practice was his first this week.

Left tackle Mark Dixon (ankle) didn't practice, and Wannstedt said Dixon also would be a game-time decision. Although the coach said earlier in the week linebacker Twan Russell (knee) would play, Friday he said Russell, too, will be a game-time decision.

Speed kills

One reason Denver's defense has allowed a meager 61 yards per game rushing is because of speedy linebackers Al Wilson (middle), Ian Gold (weakside) and John Mobley (strongside). They have the ability to get to ballcarriers and make tackles.

Wilson leads the team with 51 tackles, followed by Mobley at 46 and Gold at 44.

By comparison, Thomas, the Dolphins' middle linebacker, leads the team with 49 tackles. Weakside linebacker Derrick Rodgers is fourth with 28 and strongside linebacker Morlon Greenwood is seventh with 17 tackles.

"The linebackers run so well and play so good," Dolphins running back Ricky Williams said of the Denver trio. "I think right now they're probably the fastest linebackers in the NFL."